North Korea’s test of a ballistic missile this week showed new, more dangerous capabilities in its missile program, but the Pentagon says the US and its Asian allies have defenses to deal with threat.
When North Korea launched the missile on Sunday, the US Navy had two destroyers in the Sea of Japan with the ability to shoot it down, a US defense official said.
The guided missile destroyers, USS Stethem and USS McCampbell, are equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system, which is able to track 100 missiles simultaneously and fire interceptors to take out an enemy’s ballistic projectiles.
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“We worked very quickly with our Japanese and South Korean allies to make sure that it did not pose a threat to them either. As you know we maintain abilities to be able to respond quickly and intercept missiles from North Korea if they do pose a threat to us or our allies,” a Pentagon spokesman, US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said.
Sunday’s North Korean launch involved the first land-based test of an intermediate-range missile that, in the past, has been fired from a submarine, two US officials said.
And because it was launched from a missile site on North Korea’s west coast, it flew farther than any previous North Korean tests, about 300 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.
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A South Korean lawmaker’s office said Tuesday the North Korean missile could have gone even farther.
“The missile was launched at 89 degrees, and if it were to be launched at normal angle, which is 45 degrees, it could fly over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). This launch shows that North Korea’s missile technology is constantly progressing,” said a statement from the office of Lee Cheol-woo, who was briefed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
